75% of customer complaints

had to do not with the tape

itself but with improper

application. Tim Jensen,

Jensen & Associates (USA)

Tape College 2010 in Brussels

An Event to Remember

Afera hosted its 4thTape College 14-16 April 2010 at the Brussels Marriott Hotel. The event, which

had been postponed in 2009 due to the economic crisis, was deemed a great success by organisers

and attendees alike. The organisation and content of the Working Programme, along with the

centrally-located venue and dynamic group in attendance, were praised for offering a perfect mix of

content, atmosphere and networking.

The 4th Tape College

The TC is a 3-day educational seminar designed by Afera to provide industry newcomers, as well as

those interested in keeping abreast of the technical essentials of self adhesive tape, with an

understanding of the fundamentals of the tape business. This event, which was expanded in 2007 to

include 14 lectures, was intended to build upon the success of the first three events held in 2004,

2005 and 2007. The 4th TC was originally planned to be held in Spring 2009, but because of reduced

registration numbers resulting from the economic crisis, Afera’s then Technical Committee Chairman

Lutz Jacob took the decision with Afera Secretary-General Astrid Lejeune to reschedule the event a

year later.

The Working Programme

The Concept

In order to provide its members with the opportunity to

brush up on basic industry knowledge by ‘going to

school’ with the experts, Afera created this biennial

opportunity for all those affiliated with the tape business

to explore the basics of design, manufacture, application

and testing with tape industry authorities. Class topics

included the fundamentals of tape products, coating

technology for water-based, hot melt and acrylic PSAs,

tape backings, release papers and liners, physical testing,

utilising EB- and UV-irradiation, surface treatment methods and rheology of PSAs.

Out of the Technical Box

The TC 2010’s Working Programme featured three additional out-of-the-technical-box lectures. The

first and most highly-rated lecture of the event was “Political Molecules in Practice”, given by Leon

Rodenburg of Eastman Chemical B.V. (NL), which covered registration, classification and labelling

according to European legislation and international public policy. “Increasing the Pie for the

European Self Adhesive Tape Industry: An Insight into the Opportunities to Replace Alternative

Bonding and Fastening Systems” by Isabelle Meijer and Frank Voermans of Meijer + Voermans

Consulting (CH) covered Afera’s Marketing Committee’s latest specialty-segment market study.

Lastly, “Increasing the Pie for the European Self Adhesive Tape Industry: Engineered Adhesive

This is my first Tape College

and my second technical event

with Afera. I have given

several presentations on the

advancements of new

adhesives. My interest here

today is to learn more about

technological advancements

and the latest art of designing

modern adhesives. Christoph

Küsters, Senior Technical

Manager, 3M Deutschland

GmbH, Industrial Adhesives &

Tapes Laboratory Europe (D)

Solutions” was delivered by Steve Barwick of Parafix Tapes & Conversions Ltd., a Member Company

of Afera’s new SDC MKC Subgroup.

Format

The 4th TC had the same format at the 2007 event: starting Wednesday at noon and finishing after

lunch on Friday. What makes the Afera Tape College popular and unique in Europe is that the

curriculum and setting are styled after a university seminar. Participants attend ‘classes’ in an

informal, classroom-style atmosphere. The venue floor plan is arranged in a manner conducive to

class participation and active learning. Various Afera Members were recruited to participate as

‘professors’, lecturing for approximately 45 minutes on their area of expertise within the tape

industry.

Presenters and Hosts

Many of this year’s lecturers are veteran presenters at

the Tape College and are highly sought after, such as

Chrétien Donker of Eastman Chemical Middelburg B.V.

(NL), Tim Jensen of Jensen & Associates and formerly of

3M (USA), Johannes Türk of BASF AG (D), Frederic Bodino

of Dow Chemical Company (CH), Steve Prestidge of

Adhesive Technical Services representing Chemsultants

International (UK), Sandra Bellendorf of Evonik

Goldschmidt GmbH (D) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Groβ of the

IFAM Fraunhofer Institut (D).

Tape College Chairman Chrétien Donker, who also heads

Afera’s Technical Committee, kicked off the event with

an instructive introduction: “Enjoy this event and learn

something over these three days of seminars, because

the exercise of the Tape College is learning.”

Christoph Küsters, Senior Technical Manager for 3M

Deutschland GmbH, Industrial Adhesives & Tapes

Laboratory Europe (D), in his introduction to Session 1,

revealed one of the great strengths of the Tape College’s

first team of presenters: “We have a very strong panel of the most experienced tape industry

representatives in the world here with us today: Tim Jensen, Johannes Türk and Chrétien Donker,

together with more than 100 years of experience in tapes and adhesives. I invite your active

participation. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions to bring lively action to our

workshop.”

Mr. Jensen then delivered the first lecture, an introduction and basis for the audience’s

understanding of the fundamentals of PSA tape products, explaining what tape is, how it works and

why it is important. TC Session Chairmen included Mr. Küsters, Ronald Pfaff of tesa AG (D), Bart de

What you often find at

international conferences is

that the subject matter of

presentations tends to be

rather superficial in order to

suit a wider audience. This is

not the case with Afera’s

presentations, which delve into

deep detail. In this respect,

Afera offers a substantial, high-

level programme.” Marco

Martinez, Marketing

Communications Director,

Release & Label Papers,

Advanced Nonwovens, Home

& Personal Nonwovens,

Ahlstrom Turin S.p.A. (I)

Dier of Avery Dennison (B) and Ralf Rönisch of Henkel

KGaA (D). Some presenters had this say about the TC:

This is my second time as a presenter at an Afera event.

The TC offers a great chance, especially for newcomers, to

learn about the basics of the tape industry—about the

various compositions and components of tape—and to

make contact with others in the industry. The latter is

perhaps a much more important aspect of the event.

Sandra Bellendorf, Technical Manager of RC Silicones,

Goldschmidt Industrial Specialties, Evonik Goldschmidt

GmbH (D)

This is my fourth time attending the Tape College, and I

think it has improved with each time it has been organised.

The presentations are edited and updated, and I will have

to do this for mine if I want to give it again in two years’

time. This is because there are many returning attendees

as well as first-timers here.... I would say that the level of

presentations is very interesting and we have had the

opportunity to learn a lot about every area of the tape

industry. Dr. Frederic Bodino, Business Development

Manager Specialty PSAs, Adhesives and Functional

Polymers, Dow Europe GmbH (CH)

As a presenter, I enjoyed attending this seminar for the

first time. Having been involved in release liners for years, I hoped to make paper a bit better

known in the tape profession and also to meet industry players—customers’ customers—whom

we do not have the opportunity to meet as papermakers. Pascale Gouttenoire, Development &

Technical Customer Service, Ahlstrom LabelPack (F)

Content

One of the Tape College’s main strengths is the depth and detail of subject matter of its lectures.

Subjects range from efficient overviews to deep, technical narratives. The content of the Working

Programme has been routinely fine-tuned according to participant feedback and updated to jibe

with trends and developments in the industry.

The two presentations which stood out for me were the introduction to acrylic PSAs and the

overview of backing materials. Jens-Peter Schumann, Market Manager Converting Industry,

ISRA Surface Vision GmbH (D)

The TC is very well-organised, and an event like this is always good to attend. I like catching up

on the latest technological advances. The Working Programme is very interesting and covers a

wide range of relevant subjects. Uri Dat, R&D, Davik Self-Adhesive Tapes (Israel)

I have found the presentations to be really relevant, providing a good overview of tapes, and I

have picked up a few contacts. The presentations offer a good dose of reality for me, since I

You have been talking about

chemical molecules. I will talk

about political molecules….

Registration under REACH is

not just a technical issue. It’s a

business issue. Leon

Rodenburg, Eastman Chemical

B.V. (NL)

have not studied these specifics since I was at university fifteen years ago. John Bettink, R&D

and Production Manager, Carlisle Hardcast Europe B.V. (NL)

There were many interesting topics on the agenda.... Some highlights for me were the

presentations on EB- and UV curing, modern surface treatment methods, and coating

technologies. Stefano Orticoni, R&D, Sicad SpA (I)

Survey Results

I get the impression that at this event, you have more technical professionals and not so many of

those who are involved in classification, labelling and registration. Most technical people,

however, will have to get involved in the latter

REACH activities because labels will have to be

changed on the chemicals they are using.

Furthermore, we are convinced that many

chemicals (between 2 and 20%) are going to

disappear from the market, because the chemicals

are either too expensive to test, or the chemicals

have heretofore unknown nasty properties in terms

of toxicology, eco-toxicology. They will have to

reformulate due to this de-selection caused by

REACH. So reformulating chemicals will very much

involve the people sitting in this audience. Leon

Rodenburg, Manager Product Issue Management

EMEA, Eastman Chemical B.V. (NL), following his 16

April presentation

According to the results of the TC participants’ survey, Leon Rodenburg’s (Eastman Chemical B.V.,

NL) presentation entitled “Political Molecules in Practice” was the most popular in terms of

presentation and content. Mr. Rodenburg reviewed REACH as it affects the tape industry, covering

the important topics of registration; deselection; the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP)

Regulation; the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) for Classification and Labelling of Dangerous

Substances and Mixtures; and the consequences of noncompliance.

The addition of a presentation covering the European Chemicals Policy and its consequences for

tape making was first made to the TC’s 2007 Working Programme, and this topic has been confirmed

repeatedly by Afera’s Membership as an important one. Mr. Rodenburg is known to be an expert on

the subject, as well as a straightforward, charismatic speaker. As he is much in demand to guide

companies and professionals on this subject, Afera’s Programming Committee were very fortunate

to engage his services both for the Tape College and for the upcoming Europe-India Self Adhesive

Tape College in Mumbai in November 2010 (see page 12).

When working in the European market, the impact of REACH is clearly visible. Mr. Rodenburg’s

talk gave a structured overview. Staggering is the fact that the pages of documentation

tremendously outnumber the REACH regulation itself. Also, the information given about GHS for

the Classification and Labelling of Hazardous Substances was well-presented. Dr. David Vanraes,

TS&D Specialist, Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, Cytec (B)

A salesperson for an adhesives

producer, I am new to my

company and the industry. As

a first-time attendee of the

Tape College, I found the entire

Programme of interest.

Aude Bajeot, Account

Manager, Label Tape

Packaging Protective Systems,

Collano Adhesives AG (CH)

I worked for a large company,

3M, and we had our own in-

house training staff, but some

of the SMEs may not have that.

Moreover, a lot of the

vendors—the people who

supply the industry—will know

their individual aspect of the

business but may not know the

whole business, and in this

respect the Tape College is of

special benefit to them. I think

Afera does a very good job on

the Programme, and I think it

serves a very worthwhile

function within the industry.

Tim Jensen, Jensen &

Associates (USA)

The two other most highly rated seminars were “Modern

Surface Treatment Methods” by Prof. Dr. Prof. Dr.

Andreas Groβ, Head of Centre for Adhesive Bonding

Technology, IFAM Fraunhofer Institut (D), and

“Introduction to the Rheology of Pressure Sensitive

Adhesives” by Pr. Christophe Derail of IPREM-EPCP,

Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (F).

This is the third time I have attended the Tape College as a

lecturer, and in my opinion it has only gotten better. I

think it is a very interesting and important conference due

to the fact that adhesive tapes are the most under-

recognised adhesive in the world. Recently I wrote a

proposal for a project involving gathering information on

adhesive tapes. What I learned is that in Europe, more

than 6 billion square metres of tape were produced in

2009. This was new to me, and therefore I think we need to recognise adhesive tapes

increasingly, because the properties available through adhesive tapes are so interesting. Most

people are only aware of products such as Post-It notes and everyday tape, but we have PSAs

with completely different properties which can be utilised in many industries. Prof. Dr. Andreas

Groβ, Head of Centre for Adhesive Bonding Technology, IFAM Fraunhofer Institut (D)

History

The Afera Tape College is modelled on Tape University

101, organised by Afera’s American counterpart

association, the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC),

which has offered educational seminars for more than 30

years. In its continuing effort to add value to its

membership, Afera has pinpointed the need to provide

such an event for its diverse membership base. The

Association is confident that both newcomers to the

industry, as well as those who want to expand their

knowledge and increase their effectiveness, benefit from

this biennial educational conference.

Attendance

Open to all tape industry professionals, “the Tape

College is formulated for the novice and for the

salesperson, marketer, customer service representative

and any other manager who needs to home his or her

technical knowledge,” explained former Tape College

Chairman Lutz Jacob, currently of RJ Consulting (D) and

formerly of ExxonMobil Chemical Europe (B). As with

previous Tape Colleges, the 4th event attracted a wide

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This is the third time attending

the Tape College. I’ve come

back for three reasons: First, I

think this is a key event for

newcomers to the industry to

learn about tapes and related

topics. Second, I am not a

newcomer to the business—I

have thirty years’ experience—

but I can always learn

something new. Third, I am

here to meet customers and

potential customers and to

engage with Afera. Wolfgang

Roessing, ExxonMobil

Chemical (D)

range of participants from around the globe for three days of introductory technical lectures and

networking.

Event capacity was quickly filled with a majority of those from R&D and technical divisions, eager to

learn from and mingle with their tape industry compatriots. Participants included Afera Members

and non-Members alike: tape manufacturers, suppliers, national industry associations, converters,

distributors, end-users and consultants. R&D, technical service, product development, quality

control, sales, marketing, business development, manufacturing and engineering personnel in

particular greatly benefitted from the TC.

Compared to the 1st Tape College, at the current

event I have seen more young people—new to the

industry I think—and that is a good thing. If I look

around, most of the faces are not familiar to me,

and that’s a good sign. I am satisfied that the

presenters have received many good, well-though-

out questions following their lectures. Chrétien

Donker, TC Chairman and Product Application

Specialist, Eastman Chemical Middelburg B.V. (NL)

We build machines for the coating industry—

especially for the adhesive tape industry—and the

Working Programme was very interesting to me.

Chemistry is not my strong suit, so I have learned a

few things in this area and about what is going on in

the adhesives industry in general. In the lectures, I

have learned about what’s new in adhesives for hot

melt and UV, for example.

Martin Jöhren, Project Manager, Herbert Olbrich

GmbH & Co. KG (D)

I work in marketing of thermoplastic rubbers. I am

definitely not new to this area of business; I follow

customers in this sector. I have attended these

lectures in order to refresh my knowledge of this

sector and applications. Nowadays it is very difficult

to be technically competent in a specific field, so the knowledge I have gained here adds value to

my job performance. Cristina Gobbi, Technical Service & Application Development,

Thermosplastic Rubber, Polimeri Europa (I)

As a product manager, I am looking for new product developments and the requirements of the

market, and to understand and analyse the needs and to co-ordinate the sales and R&D teams.

As a first-time attendee of the Tape College, I am here to see people, to see technically where

the industry is heading and what the new trends are. I think what I learn here will be very useful.

The BASF presentation was very good—very informative, especially interesting in terms of the

new coating heads that they have introduced. The last one [on Wednesday] given by Mr. Donker

was interesting—I am just a water-based emulsion producer, but it is good to learn about hot

melt technology. I am sure the rest of the Programme will be very good. Şebnem Kaplan Acar,

Product Manager of Adhesives & Textile, Organik Kimya (Turkey)

I am happily surprised that we

have 95 participants. People

would not attend if the topics

were not interesting to them.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Groβ, Head

of Centre for Adhesive Bonding

Technology, IFAM Fraunhofer

Institut (D)

I just started working at my company last week. As an organic chemist, I have experience in

polymers, but not in this field. This area of the chemical industry is very new for me. This is my

first experience with Afera, not having known about the organisation before last week. I feel

that I have gained a lot of information from the presentations; I am focussed more on the

technology than the chemistry. Nisa Mazor, R&D Chemist, Davik Self-Adhesive Tapes (Israel)

My company is not an Afera Member, but many of our customers attend the TC so we are here

to learn more about their business and their business backgrounds. The Working Programme

offers a very nice variety of technical aspects covering industry insights—I like it. So I’m here to

pick up general knowledge about the business and for networking purposes. Jens-Peter

Schumann, Market Manager Converting Industry, ISRA Surface Vision GmbH (D)

I come here to update myself on leading issues and developments in tape. I see customers I

know and make new industry contacts too. Hélène Ferdinand, Account Manager, Eastman

Chemical B.V. (NL)

I work in process control and field improvements, and my job involves a broad range of areas in

the company. This is my first time attending the TC, and I hope to gain a bit more knowledge of

the product we make. Obviously these are the experts, and anything we can gain from the

course we can take back with us and hopefully bring about some improvements back home.

Gary Preston, Advanced Tapes International Ltd. (UK)

I have participated in all four Afera Tape Colleges. This one is very well-attended and the

presentations are very good. The Tape Colleges have all been high-quality, and this one is no

exception. There are increasingly more of the seasoned tape professionals at this event, so it is

becoming less an introductory training course for young newcomers to the industry, although I

do see some of those here. Perhaps it’s tending to be more of a technical seminar than a tape

college/introductory event nowadays? Johannes Türk, Technical Service Manager, Marketing

Polymer Dispersions for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives, Business Management Dispersions for

Adhesives and Fibre Bonding, BASF (D)

I have only been working in the PSA business for three months, having previously worked in the

paper business. The subjects are new to me so they’re very interesting, and I have learned a lot.

Of course you could continue for hours on each topic. Nathalie Llop-Baïsse, Specialty PSA

Technical Service Specialist, Rohm & Haas Europe Services

(F)

We produce industrial tapes for the building industry, air

ventilation and so on. We are a Member of Afera, and no

one in the company had been planning to attend the event.

Since I only joined my company seven months ago and I am

new to the tape industry specifically, I said I would go.

John Bettink, R&D and Production Manager, Carlisle

Hardcast Europe B.V. (NL)

I work in a marketing function in crepe paper which is a

base material for masking tape. These kinds of events

provide you with comprehensive knowledge. You don’t

have to be extremely technical to be part of this audience

I have only been in the tape

business for a short time, so I

found the Tape College useful

in providing a brief overview of

this sector. I appreciated the

mixture of general and more

specialised presentations.... I

am very convinced of the

quality of the TC event and plan

to attend the next one. Dr.

Marco Abendroth, Product

Development, ORAFOL Europe

GmbH (D)

and gain knowledge that I can pass along to the home team at Ahlstrom. It’s also a good

professional networking event. In terms of the presentations, I have been most interested in the

newest developments and applications in the market and an overview of the state of the

industry. Yichen Wang, Marketing, Crepe Product Line, Ahlstrom Tampere Oy (FIN)

I’ve been working for three years in the R&D laboratory of Sicad, which is an adhesive tape

producer. I am here to improve my knowledge of adhesive tape. This has been a successful

conference for me. Especially important are the technical lectures of the Working Programme,

because I need to be able to understand the different problems and challenges I face in my daily

work. Maurizio Roncoroni, R&D Technician, Sicad SpA (I)

Tape industry players made a particularly strong showing at this year’s Tape College, with 95 in

attendance. Many commented on this remarkable number of participants in light of today’s

economic climate:

The number of attendees seems good—in line with expectations—which is great. Marco

Martinez, Marketing Communications Director, Release & Label Papers, Advanced

Nonwovens, Home & Personal Nonwovens, Ahlstrom Turin S.p.A. (I)

I am happily surprised with the number of attendees we have at the Tape College this year in the

current economy. This reveals the value of this event to the tape industry. Lutz Jacob, RJ

Consulting (D) (formerly of ExxonMobil, B)

It looks to be a very successful event. When I look around and see how many people are in

attendance, I am impressed. Perhaps we have had more attendees in the past, but if you follow

the current economic climate, having over 90 participants... Afera has done very well with this

event. Wolfgang Roessing, ExxonMobil Chemical (D)

Attendees Intend to Return

Many first-time attendees, as well as those who were

returning, indicated that they planned to return for the

next Tape College in 2012:

I have only been in the tape business for a short time, so I

found the Tape College useful in providing a brief overview

of this sector. I appreciated the mixture of general and

more specialised presentations.... I am very convinced of

the high quality of the TC event and plan to attend the next

one. Dr. Marco Abendroth, Product Development,

ORAFOL Europe GmbH (D)

I will definitely recommend the Tape College to others in

my company for the content and also for facilitating

contact with suppliers such as machine builders. John

Bettink, R&D and Production Manager, Carlisle Hardcast

Europe B.V. (NL)

Naturally when attending one

of these conferences,

networking is one of the most

important aspects. Even if you

are already familiar with the

business, networking is always

50% of the value of the

conference, because you have

the opportunity to meet in one

location so many people from

different companies,

countries—to make new

contacts or renew old ones if

you are already in business

with them. Andrea Küthe,

Technical Service, Synthomer

GmbH (D)

Networking

Afera ensured that the 4th Tape College would provide ample opportunity for networking outside of

classes. In addition to two cocktail receptions, three buffet lunches and four coffee breaks, a special

conference dinner was arranged on the second evening of the event at the Museum Brasserie

attached to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Here guests enjoyed fine wine and three

courses of ‘revamped Belgian classics’ while enjoying the trendy décor styled by famous interior

architect Antoine Pinto.

Whether attendees were new or old—that is, to the

Tape College or to the industry—most indicated that one

of their main objectives—if not their main objective—in

attending the TC was for professional networking

purposes:

As a project engineer/manager from the design

department, I wanted to find out what is going on in

the industry and also to meet with a few customers

who perhaps have some new projects to discuss

with us. I came for networking purposes more than

the lectures. Martin Jöhren, Project Manager,

Herbert Olbrich GmbH & Co. KG (D)

The Tape College provides a good platform for

meeting with a number of people at one location.

It’s quite convenient having a number of industry

players here and networking with them in a rather

relaxed setting. I am here on behalf of the German

national association, so that means that German

adhesive tape manufacturers are here, as well as

raw materials suppliers. This is a good opportunity

to gain valuable information and to learn what’s

going on—especially to see where people may be

experiencing problems and how the association can

help. Dr. Axel Heβland, Environment and Technical

Affairs, IVK (D)

I am interested in networking here, while my laboratory colleague is interested in the technical

content of the lectures. Şebnem Kaplan Acar, Product Manager of Adhesives & Textile, Organik

Kimya (Turkey)

There are a few companies that we deal with—or have dealt with in the past—with whom I am

interested to meet here at the Tape College.

Gary Preston, Advanced Tapes International Ltd. (UK)

I came for networking purposes.... I’ve met a few people I know here, and I’ve made a few new

contacts. Uri Dat, R&D, Davik Self-Adhesive Tapes (Israel)

The participants in Brussels are

primarily technically-oriented

and are active in R&D,

technical services, etc. Their

interest in Afera’s market study

and methodology tool is in

raising awareness about other

joining methods (besides

specialty tapes) and using this

information in product

development.” Isabelle Meijer,

M + V Consulting (CH)

I have made a few new contacts here—specifically from three different companies—so the

networking aspect has been very useful. Nathalie Llop-Baïsse, Specialty PSA Technical Service

Specialist, Rohm & Haas Europe Services (F)

As a supplier of adhesive resins that go into self adhesive tape, I think the Tape College is very

interesting to my colleagues, especially because here is where you meet your customers. Leon

Rodenburg, Manager Product Issue Management EMEA, Eastman Chemical B.V. (NL)

I have worked for 10 years for Sicad, the first three in quality control and the last seven in R&D. I

came to the Tape College to update my knowledge of tapes and to meet primarily with suppliers

and also some competitors. Stefano Orticoni, R&D, Sicad SpA (I)

Afera’s M + V Special-Segment Market Study

A notable addition in the area of business development

to this year’s TC Working Programme was a presentation

entitled “Increasing the Pie for the European Self

Adhesive Tape Industry: An Insight into the

Opportunities to Replace Alternative Bonding and

Fastening Systems” given by Isabelle Meijer and Frank

Voermans of Meijer + Voermans Consulting (CH). Ms.

Meijer explained to the audience that M + V supports

companies in new business development, and that there

are three rules for ‘increasing the pie’: 1) look for new

markets, 2) find new applications in existing markets,

and 3) compete with other joining methods. The aim of

this section of the Programme was to detail Afera’s

MKC’s latest specialty-segment market study, how it

could be utilised and the benefit it could be to businesses

in the tape industry.

Afera engaged Meijer + Voermans Consulting (CH) to perform this non-conflicting, specialty-segment

study for the Association’s Membership in 2009. The team first developed a ‘methodology tool’, a

digital programme that allows direct comparison of all joining methods on 25 criteria. The

comparison tool includes data of 19 joining methods judged on joint features and production-related

aspects. The second part of the study takes the form of detailed market research concerning joining

methods in consumer electronics. The two-part result, consisting of a report and a methodology

tool, was first unveiled at the Annual Conference in October 2009 in Cracow.

For the TC presentation, Ms. Meijer explained that they updated the tool in such a way that the

results of a direct comparison between two joining methods were shown in a more user-friendly

format: one page showing solely the main strengths and weaknesses of one joining method against

another, and a second page in which all technical details of this comparison are explained. They also

demonstrated in more detail a practical case in consumer electronics (high-end TV sets) in which this

comparison tool could be used for business development.

“We make the raw material

more convenient for our

customer to use.” Steve

Barwick, of Parafix Tapes &

Conversions, Ltd. (UK)

Ms. Meijer and Mr. Voermans received positive feedback about their presentation and study, but

unfortunately, as their presentation was one of the last on Friday’s Programme, this slot was more

poorly attended than usual because of travel problems caused by the Icelandic volcanic eruption. In

the meantime, the team have received more inquiries from new companies regarding the

presentation and study/tool. Some companies have indicated an interest in scheduling in-house

instruction sessions, during which Ms. Meijer would explain the ins and outs of the study/tool, and

how this tool can be used as an innovation device in business development.

For their upcoming presentation at the Annual Conference in October 2010, Ms. Meijer and Mr.

Voermans plan to focus on the utilisation of knowledge of joining methods and the comparison tool

in the daily business activities of companies active in the speciality tape market.

The complete Afera market study is available for purchase at www.afera.com or via Afera’s

Secretariat on tel. +31 70 312 39 16. A purchase of €300 includes a hardcopy of the report and a

write-protected USB stick containing the methodology tool. Anyone interested in an individual or

company-based instructional session is encouraged to contact Ms. Meijer on

isabelle.meijer@mvconsulting.ch or +31 74 852 67 62 for further information.

Afera’s SDC Group

As mentioned above, a notable addition to this year’s TC Working Programme was a lecture on

“Increasing the Pie for the European Self Adhesive Tape Industry: Engineered Adhesive Solutions”

delivered by Steve Barwick of Parafix Tapes & Conversions, Ltd (UK). The aim of this presentation

was to familiarise the audience with tape converting solutions and specialty die cutters (SDCs), which

make up a new Marketing Committee Subgroup of Afera. “We make the raw material more

convenient for our customer to use,” emphasised Mr. Barwick, who provided an efficient overview

of what SDCs do, the value they bring to the market, why products should be converted, who uses

and buys converted products, their presentation and quality, and what SDCs can provide.

Afera’s Specialty Die Cutters (SDC) Group represents the European tape converting industry.

Established in 2008, the SDC Group is an active subcommittee of Afera’s MKC with the mission of

establishing one strong voice promoting the functionality of engineered PSA solutions in Europe.

The SDC Group, chaired by Michael Punter, Managing Director of Parafix Holdings Ltd., consists of

senior directors and managers representing various regions and companies, both large and small,

who are actively involved in the specialty tape conversion market.

The Group is committed to ‘growing the pie’ for the

European self adhesive tape industry through the

development and appreciation of self adhesive

component parts, which are engineered to meet the

needs of end-user customers, including the design of

product placement systems.

The SDC Group recognises the value of the 2009 Meijer

and Voermans specialty-segment tape market study and

Unfortunately, I had to cut my

stay in Brussels short due to the

ash cloud and the resulting

transport troubles. Pascale

Gouttenoire, Development &

Technical Customer Service,

Ahlstrom LabelPack (F)

therefore is actively promoting its use as a process appreciation tool.

Although it is recognised that over the last ten years, tape producers have come to appreciate

increasingly the value of engineered parts, it is thought that a capabilities and value proposal should

be published in the form of a converter handbook to further assist professional tape solution sellers.

The SDC Group are currently working on this project.

To support the SDC initiative, the Group plans to present a paper at Afera’s Tape College/Technical

Seminar annually. The Group also plans to deliver a lecture as part of the Working Programme at

Afera’s Annual Conference in October 2010 in Stockholm. For more details about this and the other

presentations scheduled at the Annual Conference, turn to page 11 to see the complete Working

Programme.

Furthermore, a serious attempt will be made to differentiate the SDCs at industry trade exhibitions,

where the focus will be this Group, from machine builders and equipment suppliers, tool makers and

complementary substrate suppliers to primary product suppliers. Further details of the SDC Groups’

proposed exhibit at ICE 2011 are to be announced.

To learn more about the SDC Group and to inquire about Membership, please contact Afera

Secretary-General Astrid Lejeune, mail@afera.com, tel. +31 70 312 39 16, fax: +31 70 363 63 48.

Furthermore, check back at Afera’s website, www.afera.com, for the SDC Group’s planned new

section in 2010.

Wrapping Up

The closing day of the Tape College began with intense

speculation on the effects of the Icelandic volcanic

eruption on air travel and ground transportation.

Unfortunately this led to a certain amount of distraction

and absenteeism from the last four lectures of what was

the more business development and public affairs end of

the Working Programme. Mr. Donker and other

presenters were diligent about announcing alternative

travel possibilities and gave regular updates on airport

closures, train station and car rental locations, etc. Far

beyond these logistical frustrations, the 4th Tape College will be remembered for its quality

organisation, Programme and participants. Of equal importance is the strong, better-than-expected

showing at the event, reflecting an industry with strong foundations and a stabilising market.

Next Year’s 5th Technical Seminar

Check back at www.afera.com for updated information on the Tape College’s sister event, the

Technical Seminar, which will be held in Spring 2011.

Notes and Additional Info.

The proceedings of the Tape College Programme were distributed to participants at the start of the

event. A detailed Tape College Working Programme, as well as this article, can also be found at

www.afera.com.